


Going Forward

by IcyPheonix



Category: Cardfight!! Vanguard
Genre: AU, Gen, Stride Gate spoilers, a slightly divergent AU based on the ending of Stride Gate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-23
Updated: 2018-06-23
Packaged: 2019-05-27 04:23:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15016589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcyPheonix/pseuds/IcyPheonix
Summary: Shion doesn't escape from the Stride Gate incident entirely unscathed.Set after Stride Gate but before NEXT.





	Going Forward

**Author's Note:**

> Because I have legit no idea how Shion escaped being buried under a pile of rocks with no injuries. Like, honestly.

The last thing Shion remembered before everything went dark was the sound of cracking rock from above and the sensation of his hands slamming into Shouma Shinonome's chest as he shoved him out of the way. After that he couldn't recall anything more till he woke up in the hospital days later, Iwakura sitting quietly as his side as the doctors and nurses went about their job.

He gripped the sheets tightly as he lay there, keeping his eyes closed as he took deep, measured breathes. Something was wrong, he could just tell, he'd known since he'd opened his eyes that something was off, that something was wrong with him but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Slowly he opened his eyes and relaxed his grip as he tried to calm himself and steady his racing heart.

"Iwakura?" his voice was soft as he spoke and he tilted his head slightly to look over at the butler.

"Is something the matter master Shion?"

"I...I can't feel my legs. Why can't I feel my legs?"

 

The fact that Shion was even alive was, as far as the doctors were concerned, a miracle in and of itself. Unfortunately he did not escape unscathed. Paralyzed, that's what they'd said. The falling rocks had damaged his spinal cord beyond repair, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. He'd all but begged the doctor do something, there had to be something, physio, surgery, anything. But there wasn't, the damage was just to great. He was never going to walk again.

 

"Master Shion, you teammates are outside and wish to see you. Are you up to having guests yet?"

Shion closed the book he was holding and sighed, shaking his head. "Not right now. I don't...I don't want them to see me like this." He hated having to turn them away yet again, but he just couldn't bring himself to face them, not yet, not like this.

A sad smile formed on Iwakura's lips and he nodded. "What shall I tell them?"

"I don't know," he said, staring down at his hands as he gripped the sheets tightly. "Tell them...tell them I'm not feeling well."

"Very well."

 

"So, how is he?" asked Chrono.

Iwakura sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but the young master isn't feeling very well today."

The light faded from Chrono's eyes and his shoulders slumped. He and Tokoha both had been trying to pay Shion a visit while he was in the hospital, but it seemed that every time they managed to find time to visit him, they couldn't. Either he was busy with doctors or wasn't feeling up to having guests or, some other excuse that prevented them from getting in the door to see him.

"Well, can you tell him we hope he feels better soon?" asked Tokoha with a small smile. "We really miss him."

Chrono nodded quietly, "Yeah. I hope he feels better soon."

The older man smiled and nodded, "I shall be sure to pass your message along to him. I'm sure it'll make him feel better."

"Oh, can you give him these too?" asked Tokoha, holding out a bouquet of flowers. "We were going to give them to him but, I guess we can't now."

"Of course," said Iwakura as he took the flowers from her. "I'm sure they'll brighten his day."

With a final nod he watched as they departed before stepping back inside Shion's room.

"You won't be able to avoid them forever you know," he said as he set the flowers in a vase. "They're going to find out sooner or later."

"I know. I won't be able to hide once they discharge me. We both know Chrono will break into my house to see me if he has to. It's just..." His voice trailed off as he looked down at his hands, instinctively curling them tighter. "I'm afraid that they'll start treating me different because of this. I don't want things to change. I don't know what they're going to say, how they're going to react." His shoulders shook as he spoke, head bowed and hair falling over his face. "I guess...I guess I'm just, scared."

A gentle hand came to rest on his shoulder and Shion lifted his his head slowly. Iwakura smiled gently, keeping his hand on Shion's back.

"I know I have nothing to be scared of," continued Shion. "They're my friends, I have nothing to worry about with them, and yet, I still am. Every time I think about seeing them again I get nervous about what will happen. I know they'd never do or say anything to hurt me but all I can think of are the worst possible outcomes." He sighed heavily and put his face in his hands. "I feel so pathetic."

"You are not pathetic," said Iwakura. "And there is no shame in feeling, apprehensive about all this. But they are your friends and I can't believe that something like this would change that fact." He smiled before continuing, "I think they would just be glad to see you again. They are quite concerned about you."

Shion let his hands fall into his lap with a sigh. "I know." He wasn't sure why but hearing it come from someone else, from Iwakura, made the idea that much more believable than all the times he'd tried to convince himself of it.

"Now, I have something that I think might help you to take your mind off all this and relax," he said, taking his hand off Shion's back. As Shion looked up, Iwakura took his hands in his own and placed something in them, a box.

"My cards!"

After receiving the unfortunate news all Shion had been able to think about was how different things were going to be and all the things he wasn't going to be able to do any more or would have to do differently. But Vanguard, that was something that wasn't going to change. That was something he could still do unhindered.

He clutched the box tightly in his hands, shoulders shaking ever so slightly. There was something comforting about having his deck back in his hand, about having the units that had helped save the world right there with him.

"Thank you."

 

Chrono didn't know the details about what had happened to Shion. He knew that after his fight with Shinonome Shouma he'd become injured and had ended up in the hospital. All his attempts to visit were met with a closed door, as if Shion were avoiding him. His friend had been injured and he didn't even know how bad it was.

He sighed, picking up the broom as he began his cleaning duties in Card Capital 2, having acquired a part time job there what with Kamui becoming too busy.

Shion had been released from the hospital but it hadn't made visiting him any easier. He was still a Kiba which meant he was frequently busy, and when he wasn't busy he was resting as per the doctor's orders, so their conversations were often limited to their group chat. Even then, Shion was evasive about things, simply stating that he was fine and that they didn't need to worry.

But that was finally going to end. Shion had promised them that he would come by the card shop later that day, so Chrono was working to get everything ready. It wasn't much, just a get together and perhaps partly a 'we're glad to see you again Shion' sort of party.

"Did he say what time he was going to be here?" asked Tokoha, a box in her arms.

Chrono shook his head, "No, just 'later this afternoon'.". As if on cue his phone buzzed from inside his pocket, alerting him to a message in the chat. "Oh. Looks like he'll be here around 4," said Chrono as he looked at the message.

"Good, that gives us some time to get things ready," said Tokoha.

"And time for me to finish up my job."

 

Hand resting against his chest, Shion took a deep breath and he tried to calm his nerves. It was the first time he'd seen Tokoha and Chrono in what felt like ages, but was in fact probably no more than a month or so. The little voice whispering at the back of his mind all the ways the meeting could go horribly still there albeit quieter so it was taking a great deal of work to banish it and focus on other things, like how it could go well.

From their messages it was clear they were excited to see him again and although they hadn't seen him while he was in the hospital they still stopped by, bringing with them flowers and such.

"I suppose, it's really happening," he said, looking up at the building in front of him. There was no turning back now. "I suppose I can't put it off any longer." As the car door behind him closed he looked up at Iwakura. "Do you think you could...?"

"Of course master Shion."

 

Chrono's mind had come up with a lot of reasons for why Shion had been avoiding them and what he might see when Shion came through the door. But none of the scenarios prepared him for what he saw when the door slid open and he heard Shion's familiar voice call out to them.

"Shion I-" he stopped dead as he turned around and laid eyes on his friend, words suddenly turning to dust in his mouth.

A wheelchair, Shion was in a wheelchair.

"It's, not what you were expecting is it?" asked Shion, breaking the awkward silence.

"No," said Chrono quickly. "No it's-it's not." He hesitated, "Is this why you didn't want to see us?"

Shion sighed and nodded, gripping the armrests tightly. "I'm sorry for making the two of you worry so much. I think just needed time to come to terms with, this."

Tokoha covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh Shion."

"It's alright," he said. "I'll be ok, I promise. It's a little more difficult to do something things but I can manage pretty much everything I could before, I'm just a bit closer tot he ground now," he said with a light laugh.

"You can still fight right?" asked Chrono and Shion looked over to see he was holding his deck out. "I mean, it looks like it's just your legs so you should still be able to fight. Unless you got rusty while in the hospital."

"Chrono," said Shion in a playfully offended tone. "Like I would ever stop practising just because I was in the hospital."

"Good, cause you own Tokoha and I at least one fight. Er, Shion?"

All the fears and nervousness that Shion had been bottling up and fighting back had finally come to a head and he was laughing behind one hand, shoulders shaking. It wasn't loud, but it was enough to catch Chrono and Tokoha off guard for a moment.

"Um, did I say something wrong?" asked Chrono.

Shion shook his head, wiping away the tiny tears that pickled the corner of his eyes. "Not at all. I've just been worried about how this was going to go, I guess I'm just, overwhelmed. And you're right Chrono, I do owe the two of you a fight. I probably owe you more than that, for making you worry."

"Why don't we just start with a fight first?" asked Chrono. "Dibs on the first match!"

"Chrono that's not fair!"

Shion laughed, "Sorry Tokoha."

"Hey, Mr. Iwakura, we're gonna steal Shion for a few hours alright?"

He just chuckled and nodded, "Don't worry, I made sure that his afternoon would be free. Take all the time you need."

"Chrono if you don't hurry up I'm going to take your place and you'll have to wait on fighting Shion," called Tokoha, who's already started making her way towards the duel table, where Shion was already waiting, deck in hand.

Shion couldn't help but to laugh as he watched Chrono race over. The tiny, nagging voice in his head that had been bothering him for so long, that told him of all the ways the situation could go sideways, that they were going to pity him, had at last been silenced. There really had been nothing to worry about after all. He smiled as he looked across the table to Chrono, he was going to get through this, and he wasn't going to be alone, because his friends were there.

 

"Stand up, Vanguard!"

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly p. much everything Shion does in NEXT and Z could have been accomplished from a wheelchair.
> 
> Also while writing this I discovered the Wheelchair fencing is a thing that exists.


End file.
